Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 5 February 2026
288. Deputy Michael Cahill asked the Minister for Social Protection to investigate a matter (details supplied) and allow for home caring credits to be used in both ways in the calculation of the state pension, as by not allowing this, persons are missing out on their full pension entitlement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8795/26]
View answerState Pension contributory is funded from the Social Insurance Fund from contributions paid by workers. The rate of pension is based on a person's social insurance record over their working life.
The Government acknowledges the important role that carers play and remains fully committed to supporting them. The State pension contributory system provides a range of measures to recognise caring periods outside of paid employment, such as awarding PRSI contributions and credits.
The Homemakers Scheme was introduced to allow SPC applicants to apply for up to 20 years to be disregarded in the yearly average pension calculation for periods out of the workforce since 6 April 1994 spent caring for children under age 12 or other incapacitated persons.
With the introduction in 2018 of the total contributions approach to calculating state pension contributory, HomeCaring periods were introduced. Up to 20 years of HomeCaring Periods can be considered, including periods prior to 1994. Both the Homemakers disregard (for use in the yearly average method) and HomeCaring periods (for use in the total contributions method) may only be used to enhance or increase the rate of entitlement where claimants meet the other qualifying conditions, including the number of full-rate paid contributions, currently 520.
Since January 2024, Long-Term Carers Contributions can be awarded to a person who has cared for an incapacitated person for 20 years (1040 weeks) or more. These contributions are treated the same as paid contributions for State pension (contributory) entitlement only, giving an entitlement to SPC or to a higher rate of payment where the claimant has other reckonable contributions.
In this case, the person concerned was awarded HomeCaring Periods from 21/3/70 to 30/5/85, giving them an increase of over 11% in their rate of pension from 30 March 2018 under the total contributions calculation. Homemaking periods do not apply as the periods of care were prior to 6 April 1994, the date from which this scheme applies.
It is open to the spouse of the person concerned to apply for them as a qualified adult on their contributory pension. An increase for a qualified adult is means assessed based on the means of the qualified adult only. The current maximum weekly rate is €268.20.
It is also open to the claimant or their spouse to apply for the fuel allowance if this is not already in payment to the household. Entitlement to the fuel allowance is based on an assessment of household means and is payable for the Winter months from October to April.
I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.
